The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: The Sunday Times Bestseller Paperback – 14 Oct. 2021

I just finished reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and wow, what a story! The way Taylor Jenkins Reid brings Evelyn’s life to the page is so captivating, you really get swept up in her glamorous yet complicated world. The writing feels natural and honest, making Evelyn a fully fleshed-out character who’s both flawed and fiercely determined.I loved how the book explores themes of love, ambition, and identity without feeling forced or preachy. The twists and reveals kept me hooked right until the last page, and I found myself thinking about Evelyn long after I finished. It’s a perfect mix of drama and heart.If you enjoy stories about old Hollywood, complex characters, and emotional journeys, this one’s definitely worth a read. Highly recommend!

I’m so late to the party on this book, which is why I added it to my list for the #20BooksOfSummer Challenge. Having loved all the previous books I’ve read by TJR, I am eager to catch up on her backlist and this seems to be most people’s favourite. Also, my two step-daughters were reading at the same time while we were on our recent holiday so we decided to have a mini book club.I really enjoyed the format of this book, split between the events of the modern day in Monique’s real life and her sessions with Evelyn Hugo, and then flashbacks to the past as Evelyn tells her story, split between the periods with each of the seven of her husbands. The story takes us through the golden age of Hollywood and really immerses us in that world, and it was a joy to read.TJR has a real knack for developing complex and interesting characters, and the two main protagonists in this book are no exception, particularly in the way they interact with each other. Monique’s feelings towards Evelyn change over the course of the novel and end up being extremely complicated to mirror the way the plot and the relationship between them unfolds. Evelyn is not at all what people think she is, and her reasons for telling her story to Monique could not be guessed at, and Monique’s contradictory feelings towards her by the end are completely understandable.This is a beautifully written, captivating story that had me up until the wee small hours finishing it off because I had to know the answers to the questions that TJR had cleverly implanted in me over the course of the book. I haven’t managed to get through one of her novels without shedding a tear yet, and this one was no exception. I was totally in love with Evelyn by the end, and I also felt very deeply for Monique. I can see why so many people adore this book and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an emotional page turner with great characters, and unobvious plot and a bittersweet aftertaste.

Before I give my review, I want to call out the poor review left with the tag line ‘It’s Not A Heterosexual Love Story FYI’There are so many things wrong with this review:1) This is not a gay story. To me it is a story about love. Also, the main character identifies as bisexual - do not confuse the two things as that is offensive to bisexual people.2) I am not a lesbian and I am not bisexual. That does not prevent me from enjoying a book that features bisexual and lesbian characters. Your review is something that I therefore consider homophobic3) From your review, I would guess that you are not bisexual or a lesbian. Therefore, how can you claim the ‘gay storyline’ is not believable?Onto my review:I found the book really easy to read. The main character was complicated and at times was not likeable, but to me that was deliberate. You had to see all of her to understand her.You were thrown into a world of fictional, Old Hollywood movie stars, but I couldn’t help but feel that a lot of the stories came from real life actors and actresses. How hard must it have been for people to live a lie/live through fake marriages, because the world was not ready for who they were, or because a films success was based on the manufactured chemistry and marketability of the stars?I liked the way was split into ‘Husbands’ especially as they were pretty much a backstory to the main event. That gave a nice juxtaposition.The primary love story and the twist at the end gave the book a raw and emotional feel to it.I wouldn’t class this book a classic (hence the four star review), but I would say that it’s themes and the way it has been written are enough to draw you in as a reader.